66-68 Monroe Avenue (Commercial Building), Detroit, Wayne County, MI

Significance: This building contributes to the last intact pre-Civil War commercial block in Detroit. / Hiram R. Johnson (1825-1894), a prominent Detroit businessman, bought the real estate where this building stands in 1852 and erected a series of commercial buildings known as the Johnson Block. The architect is unknown. Tenants in the two first floor spaces have included an umbrella manufacturer continuously from 1888 through 1912, a pawnbroker in 1910-1918, followed by a series of men's clothing stores from 1920 through 1933. Later tenants included a show repair shop and the Tip Top Book Store. The upper-floor tenants are not listed in the City Directories and are unknown.
Survey number: HABS MI-327